Catalogue description Dover Harbour Board

Incorporated under Harbours and Passing Tolls Act 1st August 1861. Under section 41, all property real and personal vested in Warden and Assistants of Harbour of Dover or in any person in trust for purposes of Harbour was transferred to and vested in board of trustees to be called "Dover Harbour Board", constituted thereby as a body corporate. Constitution of board, under Section 47 of act, was to be seven members, being Lord Warden for the time being of Cinque Ports, two Burgesses of Borough of Dover, and members appointed by President of Board of Trade, First Lord of the Admiralty, South Eastern Railway Company and London Chatham and Dover Railway Company. Under Dover Harbour Board Act 1901, section 56, an additional board member, appointed by South Eastern and Chatham Railway Managing Committee, was authorised.

By act of 1906, 6 Edward VII, cap.205, constitution of Board was altered to comprise seven members, being two members nominated by Corporation of Dover, and representatives of Board of Trade, Admiralty, South Eastern Railway Company, London Brighton and South Coast Railway, and South Eastern and Chatham railway companies' Managing Committee, and three latter undertakings guaranteed interest on Harbour Board 3 3/4 redeemable debenture stock.

In pursuance of provisions of Railways Act 1921, above mentioned railway under-takings, and their interests and liabilities in Harbour Board, became vested in Southern Railway Company, and under Section 26 of Dover Harbour Act, 28th July 1933, constitution of Board was altered to eight members, being two representatives of Ministry of Transport, two members appointed by Corporation of Dover, one member appointed by Admiralty, and three members appointed by Southern Railway Company.

Under section 14 of Transport Act 1947, interests and liabilities of Southern Railway Company passed to British Transport Commission.

Dover Harbour Consolidation Act 14th April 1954 recites that constitution of Board is eight members being two representatives of Ministry of Transport, one representative of Admiralty, three representatives of British Transport Commission, and two representatives of Corporation of Dover.